NSOP has the potential to be the most humbling, most spirit-breaking, but most transformative week of your life. Bwog is here to help.

Oh, NSOP. What a whirlwind you were. As I sit and reflect on the innocent person I was pre-NSOP, my heart breaks. Baby had no idea what she was getting into. Back in my day (one whole year ago), it was a week of lectures, faculty-sponsored events, and B’scursions. (Genuinely, what Barnard staff member came up with that title and can I speak with them? Because what is that.) It’s now been cut down to a solid three days so, Class of 2028, consider yourself lucky. Regardless, NSOP is a rollercoaster of an experience, but Bwog is here to share some wisdom to help you get through it as unscathed as possible.

1. I promise, it’s not that serious!. The greatest piece of advice I can give you is to take a deep breath. Almost everyone I’ve asked says that they wish they’d taken NSOP way less seriously. At the end of the day, it’s only the very first week of the next four years of your life—a tiny drop in the bucket that is college! This is easy to say retrospectively, but I really do encourage all of the freshies to breathe deep, have some fun, and not take this week so seriously. If you have only one takeaway from this article, let it be this.
2. Be prepared for lectures. If you thought college orientation was only for fun times with new friends, you’d only be about 10% correct. According to the Barnard admin especially, the best way to spend the other 90% of your first week at the institution that will be academically humbling you for the next four years is by jumping right into an inhumane lecture schedule! CC and SEAS tend to have fewer lectures on the schedule and generally have a more event-focused NSOP, so if you are not a Barnard student, consider yourself lucky in this regard.
3. If you’re too overwhelmed to function and need to skip a lecture or event, skip it. One of the glorious parts of college is that nothing is actually, truly, totally mandatory. If you need to skip the pottery-decorating social or the dining hall lecture (which I do actually recommend skipping, as I did fall asleep), you can skip it. NSOP is overwhelming and the lack of breaks can be tough on your mental health, so you may need to schedule them yourself—a great skill to start working on early in the semester!
4. The food is not always this bad. Columbia and Barnard Dining isn’t amazing, but it’s not as terrible as NSOP food, which is catered from an outside vendor.
5. Find a good crying spot. If your experience is anything like mine was, you’ll want to find a spot where you can cry in private. Your definition of “private” might be different than mine, but I frequented the benches in Riverside quite often. Bonus points for crying on the bench dedicated to the late dog who “loved Riverside Park” around 115th (there’s a name plate on it—you’ll find it). 
6. Commiserate with the people in your NSOP group. I think NSOP is a time of misery for every Columbia student, albeit in different ways for each individual. The other first-years in your group are probably also contemplating their escape plans, so bond over it! I met one of my now-best friends, Lily, on the first night of NSOP after eating a borderline inedible Hewitt dinner together. After that experience, I think we’re deeply bonded for life. 
7. Everyone at Barnumbia comes from a completely unique place in life. College is often the first time that people begin to meaningfully interact with peers from different socioeconomic statuses, religions, cultures, etc. Especially at a highly regarded institution with an insane price tag, it can feel overwhelming to see people Ubering around the city, eating out every night, and carrying bags that are worth more than your entire wardrobe put together. (Definitely not speaking from experience or anything!) However, it’s important to not feel intimidated by people’s differences—instead, talk about them! Trust me, speaking to people about their life experiences will teach you just as much, if not more, than your classes.
8. Lean on other people. I cannot overstate the importance of staying in touch with your support system from home and starting to build a new one at school. Call your parents if you can, please! Talk to your friends from high school, FaceTime your dog, whatever works for you. While doing this, though, be sure to make a low-pressure effort (because you don’t have to meet all of your new friends in the first week!) to get to know the people around you. You’d be surprised at how quickly strong friendships can be built in tough times. Cry to your new friends—I promise, it helps.

So, big picture takeaways? NSOP is never as serious as it feels, you can cry, and you will make it out alive. Yes, sweaty from the severe lack of air conditioning and maybe a bit overwhelmed, but alive! Probably with a few new friends, too! I’ll finish with a personal anecdote to calm your nerves—within my first week at Barnumbia, I had already met five of my dearest, closest friends who ended up being the people who got me through the rest of the first semester and beyond. I say this not to rush you into trying to find your people ASAP, but to show you that it can happen organically if you take a deep breath and take it day by day.

Good luck to the freshies at all four schools. You can do it! Bwog believes in you!

NSOP via Author